Houston, Texas—ICE and thegovernment of Honduras haveagreed to conduct the firstVideo Teleconferencing (VTC) pilot program to expedite the interviews and removal of Honduranimmigration detainees.

The pilot program will enableHonduran consular offices tointerview detainees via videoteleconference, rather thanthrough in-person interviews,to confirm their nationality.Confirmation of nationality isrequired to obtain travel docu-ments and complete thedeportation of these detainees.VTC will allow consularoffices to conduct detaineeinterviews more frequently,allowing ICE to completedeportations more quickly.

“The VTC is a great exampleof the innovative approach ICE is takingto immigration enforcement,” said MarcJ. Moore, ICE San Antonio field officedirector. “Consular officers are able toquickly reach out to Honduran citizensin our custody, while ICE is able to savemoney by reducing the amount of timedetainees stay in detention and complet-ing the deportation more rapidly.”

Norman Garcia, the HonduranAmbassador to the United States, saidabout the new pilot that, “TheGovernment of President RicardoMaduro has realized the importance ofthe Honduran community in the U.S.That is why his administration has rec-

ognized the importance of the VTC proj-ect—for Hondurans won’t have to stayin detention centers longer than theyneed be, and will be able to go back totheir families as soon as possible.”

ICE and the government of Honduras,working with the U.S. State Department,began discussions on VTC capability inFebruary 2005. The government ofHonduras officially approved using VTCon April 26, 2005 after careful considera-tion. This pilot program will soon beexpanded to Honduran consular offices inPhoenix, Ariz., and Los Angeles, Calif.The government of Honduras indicated

Continued on Page 2

An alien in ICE custody appears before an immigra-tion judge during a teleconference hearing. ICE andthe Honduran government have agreed to a pilotwhich will use this technology to allow Honduran offi-cials to conduct counselor interviews with Honduransin ICE custody.

Volume 2, Issue 21

October 17, 2005

2 ICE Arrests IllegalAliens Working AtArmy Special OpsSchool

3 Miami ICE Arrests 99 Fugitive Aliens InWeeklong Operation

3 ICE Most Wanted

3 ICE Agents Seize8,000 Items Of DrugParaphernalia

4 ICE Deports ArmenianHuman Rights Violator

4 ICE, Partners BreakInternational CocaineRing

5 ICE Agents SeizeThousands Of FakeCDs, DVDs At FleaMarket

5 Bakersfield ICEAgents Raid HomeGrown Counterfeiters

5 Chicago DRO ArrestsFugitive Haitian Gang Member

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Inside ICEICE, Honduras AnnounceProgram To Speed Deportations

Continued from Page 1

that VTC capability wouldultimately be installed in all of its consulate offices across the nation. According to DHSstatistics, from October 2004through August 2005, ICErepatriated more than 6,600Honduran nationals.

This VTC program is the latestof several initiatives launched bythe Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS) to deter aliensfrom illegally entering theUnited States by apprehendingand quickly removing them totheir countries of origin. Last

month, for example, HomelandSecurity Secretary MichaelChertoff expanded ExpeditedRemoval (ER) authority to theentire southwest border.

ER is an administrative processaimed at reducing the number of“Other than Mexicans” (OTMs)who have spent less than 14 daysin the United States and who areapprehended within 100 miles ofthe border. OTMs apprehendedunder ER are detained and quick-ly returned to their countries oforigin after receiving their traveldocuments. They are not requiredto appear before a federal immi-gration judge. ■

Inside IICE Page 22

ICE, Hondurans Agree To Teleconference Pilot

Raleigh, N.C.—ICE agents arrestedtwo Indonesian nationals and aSenegalese national who were work-ing as contract language instructorsat the Joint Special OperationsCommand Center (JSOC) within theU.S. Army Reservation at FortBragg, N.C.

Nurkis Qadariah, a 34-year-old nativeof Indonesia, and Sayf Rimal, a 37-year-old native of Indonesia, werearrested October 4 on federal chargesof possessing and using false docu-ments and making false statements.

Qadariah and Rimal used counterfeitResident Alien Cards and made falsestatements under penalty of perjurythat they were Lawful PermanentResidents of the United States inorder to gain employment at FortBragg, providing contract languageinstruction services to U.S. SpecialForces and other U.S. military per-sonnel at the JSOC at Fort Bragg.

ICE agents also arrested OusmaneMoreau, a 38-year-old native ofSenegal, October 3 in connection

with the same investigation. Moreauwas charged with being in the UnitedStates illegally. He will be placed inremoval proceedings.

“Unauthorized workers who usefraudulent documents to gain work atsensitive U.S. military installationspose a serious homeland securitythreat. Not only are their identities inquestion, but they are also vulnerableto potential exploitation by terroristsand other criminals given their illegalstatus in this country. Furthermore,these individuals have access to someof the most sensitive worksites in thenation,” said ICE Charlotte AssistantSpecial Agent-in-Charge Jeff Jordan.

The three arrests were the result of ajoint investigation by ICE, theDefense Criminal InvestigativeService, the U.S. Army CriminalInvestigative Division, and FortBragg security officials. The investi-gation continues.

The arrests are the latest in ICE’seffort to target and remove illegalaliens working at sensitive sites and

critical infrastructure locations aroundthe nation, including airports, seaports,nuclear plants, chemical plants, anddefense facilities. In accordance withICE’s homeland security mission, ICEspecial agents prioritize worksiteenforcement efforts by focusing oninvestigations related to critical infra-structure and national security. As partof this effort, ICE agents continue tofocus attention on facilities and com-panies that provide illegal contractemployees to work on U.S. militarybases and on U.S. military products. ■

ICE Arrests Illegal Aliens Working At Army Special Ops School

Marc Moore,field officedirector of the ICE SanAntonio Office of Detention and RemovalOperations,speaks during anews conferenceannouncing anagreementbetween ICE andthe Hondurangovernment to begin a pilot programdesigned to speedthe removal ofHondurans.

Inside ICE is an e-newsletter producedby the ICE Office of Public Affairs toinform the public about the mission,operations and activities of U.S.Immigration and CustomsEnforcement. Please send commentsand contributions to:

ICEUpdate@dhs.gov

—Russ Bergeron, Editor

ALIASES: El Negro HEIGHT: 5’6”LAST KNOWN WHEREABOUTS: Unknown WEIGHT: 140 lbs.DATE OF BIRTH: 09/27/1979 HAIR: BlackPLACE OF BIRTH: Mexico EYES: BrownSCARS/MARKS: “EISA” tattoo on back BACKGROUND: In August 1999 in Phoenix, a shoot outbetween kidnappers and smugglers left three personsdead, including a 15-year old boy. AVILA is the lastkidnapper sought in connection with the case. Followinga trial that consumed almost three months, AVILA’s five codefendants were convicted in March 2001. Each defendant was sentenced to 16 life terms plus235 years.

Javier AVILA-VALDEZ

Miami—ICE detention andremoval officers arrested 99 persons during a week-long statewide operationtargeting alien fugitives,many with criminal convic-tions for violent crimes. ICE Fugitive Operationsteams in Miami, Tampa,Jacksonville and Orlandoconducted Operation Clean Sweep, which ended September 30.

The operation was part of anongoing effort to identifyand arrest fugitive criminalaliens—persons orderedremoved by a federal immigrationjudge but who failed to comply withthe order. Many of those arrestedhave been in hiding evading lawenforcement for years.

“Operation Clean Sweep” is part of our continued mission to keepingour communities safe by removingdangerous criminal aliens from our streets,” said Michael Rozos,field office director for the Office of Detention and RemovalOperations in Florida. “Criminalaliens have a very high rate of

recidivism and often re-victimize the community in which they reside.By finding and removing thesefugitives, we are able to greatlyenhance the public safety of Florida,while restoring integrity to ournation’s immigration system.”

Many of the fugitives arrested duringthis operation have a history of vio-lent criminal activity, includingsexual assault of a child, domesticviolence, child abuse, assault with adeadly weapon and battery on a lawenforcement officer. ■

ICE officers escort one of 99 fugitive aliensarrested in a statewide operation in Floridatargeting aliens who had failed to surrender toICE after receiving final orders of deportation.

Miami ICE Arrests 99 Fugitive AliensIn Weeklong Operation

ICE Agents Seize8,000 Items Of DrugParaphernalia

Inside IICE Page 33

Jacksonville, Fla.—ICE agentsseized 8,000 items of drug para-phernalia worth $250,000 fromnine Jacksonville area retails storesduring the first week of October.

ICE agents, using federal searchwarrants seized bongs, “roach”clips, grinders, crack pipes andmarijuana pipes. Many of the itemsseized were made to lure children.Some of the items depicted well-known cartoon characters such asthe Tasmanian Devil, Tweety Birdand the California Raisin.

“This week’s seizure sends theclear message that ICE will useall of its investigative resources toidentify stores that sell a terriblelie to children,” said FrankFigueroa, special agent-in-chargein Tampa. “There’s no doubt thatthese items were made to makedrug use attractive to kids and wesimply will not tolerate this typeof activity in our community.”

The seizures are the result ofOperation Bad Seed, an ICE initia-tive designed to identify and pros-ecute businesses that illegallyimport, manufacture, and distributedrug paraphernalia in Jacksonville.

No arrests were made in conjunc-tion with the seizures. However, the ICE investigation into the case continues. ■

Drug paraphernalia in the image ofcartoon characters were amongsome 8,000 items seized by ICEagents in Jacksonville, Fla.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of the above fugitive, please call 1-866-DHS-2ICEView more ICE Most Wanted online at: www.ice.gov/graphics/investigations/wanted/IC

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San Diego—ICE hasdeported a former lieu-tenant in the Armenianmilitia who admittedrecruiting soldiers andproviding arms to assist inthe persecution of theAzeri people.

Vigen Patatanyan, 38, anaturalized Armenian citi-zen born in Iran, wasdeported from San Diegoon October 5 on a com-mercial flight. Patatanyanhad been in ICE custodysince 2004 following hisarrest at the Otay Mesa,Calif. Port of Entry, wherehe attempted to reenter theUnited States just sixmonths after being deport-ed to Armenia.

During the attemptedentry, Patatanyan posed as

a refugee, showing U.S.Customs and BorderProtection officers a validrefugee travel documentbelonging to someone else.

During his immigrationproceedings, Patatanyantestified that he formerlyserved as a lieutenant inthe Armenian militia andrecruited soldiers to fightwith him in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.According to Patatanyan,he brought supplies,including AK-47 rifles and ammunition, to sol-diers engaged in battles at several locations inArmenia—conflicts thatresulted in the massacre of countless villagers.

“We will not allow thiscountry to serve as a safe

tors residing in the UnitedStates are living and work-ing among some of theirvictims who have soughtasylum and refugee statusin the United States. ■

haven for those who havecommitted crimes againsthumanity,” said ICE SanDiego Deputy ChiefCounsel Alan Rabinowitz.“ICE is seeking to removehuman rights violators of allnationalities who come hereto evade prosecution forcrimes they have committedin their home countries.”

Patatanyan’s removal ispart of ICE’s ongoingeffort to identify, appre-hend, prosecute, andremove human rightsviolators. ICE attorneys arecurrently tracking and liti-gating more than 900 casesinvolving human rightsviolators from more than85 countries nationwide.

Many of the most egre-gious human rights viola-

Inside IICE Page 44

Vigen Patatanyan wasdeported by ICE after animmigration court found hehad been involved inhuman rights abuses inArmenia.

Madrid, Spain—ICEagents, working with agentsfrom the Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA),officials from Spain’sGuardia Civil and Canada’sRoyal Canadian MountedPolice (RCMP), have dis-mantled an internationaldrug trafficking ring thatwas attempting to smuggle1,000 kilograms of cocaineinto Spain.

Four Canadian nationalshave been detained inSpain, and the 1,000 kilo-grams of cocaine havebeen seized, along withseveral high-performancevehicles, computer equip-ment, and an undeterminedamount of cash.

The investigation began inMay 2005 when ICE andDEA agents learned that adrug trafficking organiza-tion led by Canadians wasattempting to move thecocaine from theCaribbean to Spain forlater distribution through-out the European Union.Because the targets wereCanadian and because onewas considered the largestdrug trafficker in Canada,ICE and DEA agentsrequested the help ofCanadian authorities.

In August, after it was con-firmed that the destinationof the cocaine shipmentwas Spain, U.S. andCanadian authorities con-

tacted Spain’s GuardiaCivil and that agencyjoined the investigation.

In late September, theGuardia Civil detectedmembers of the drug traf-ficking organization in theprovince of Gerona, Spain.With the assistance of U.S.and Canadian authorities,Spanish officials learnedthat other members of theorganization would bearriving in Spain fromCanada in early October.Members of the organiza-tion were being closelymonitored in both Canadaand Spain.

The take down beganOctober 6 in Cambrils,

Spain, where members of the organization weredetained as they attemptedto move the cocaine fromone place to another.Authorities also detainedthe leader of the organiza-tion who had traveled toSpain in order to coordi-nate both the sale of thedrugs and the launderingof the proceeds from those sales.

An analysis of documenta-tion seized by authoritiesrevealed that this organiza-tion operated not only inSpain, but also in Holland,France, The UnitedKingdom and Ireland, aswell as in the United Statesand Canada. ■

ICE, Partners Break International Cocaine Ring

ICE Deports Armenian Human Rights Violator

San Antonio—ICE agentsexecuted a search warrantSeptember 29 at the ValVerde Flea Market inDonna, Texas, and seizedalmost 9,000 counterfeitDVDs and CDs. The oper-ation was part of ICE’songoing efforts to stop theillegal sale of counterfeitmotion picture and music.

A total of 8,725 DVDs andCDs were seized at thescene, each of them beingsold for about $10. Noarrests were made during

the execution of the searchwarrant. ICE specialagents will continue theinvestigation.

“Illegally manufacturingand selling pirated CDsand DVDs is a seriouscrime that harms the entirecreative community ofmusicians, filmmakers,retailers and others whobring entertainment and artto the public,” said AlonzoPena, Special Agent-in-Charge of the San AntonioICE Office of Investi-

gation. “Yesterday’sseizure should send a clearmessage: We will not toler-ate the theft of intellectualproperty.”

In recent years, counter-feiting, piracy, and otherIntellectual PropertyRights (IPR) violationshave grown in magnitudeand complexity, costingU.S. businesses billions ofdollars in lost revenue andoften posing health andsafety risks to U.S. con-sumers. In 1998, the Inter-

national Chamber ofCommerce estimated thatfive to seven percent ofworld trade was comprisedof counterfeit goods, amarket worth some $350billion. In May 2004, theUnited States Trade Repre-sentative published itsannual Special 301 Reportin which it estimated thatU.S. industry alone loses$200 to $250 billion tocounterfeiting annually. ■

ICE Agents Seize Thousands Of Fake CDs, DVDs At Flea Market

Inside IICE Page 55

Chicago DRO Arrests FugitiveHaitian Gang Member

Bakersfield, Calif.—ICEagents arrested sevenKern County residentsSeptember 30 for manu-facturing and sellingfraudulent identificationand immigration docu-ments out of their homes.

ICE worked with theCalifornia Department ofMotor Vehicles (DMV)and officers from the KernCounty Sheriff’sDepartment and the TaftPolice Department.

The arrests follow aundercover investigationthat resulted in the execu-tion of search warrants atsix homes allegedly beingused as bases of operationfor large-scale counterfeitdocument fraud.Computers, media storagedevices and counterfeitdocuments, includingfalse Social Securitycards, driver’s licenses

and resident alien cards,(“green cards”) wereseized. ICE agents say thesix locations dismantledtoday appeared to beoperating independentlyof one another.

“Targeting those responsi-ble for making and sellingfraudulent documents isan enforcement priorityfor ICE,” said ICEBakersfield ResidentAgent-in-Charge MichaelToms. “Anyone whoknowingly and indiscrimi-nately sells phony identitycards is putting the securi-ty of our communities and even our country atrisk. Documents like thiscould potentially be usedby terrorists or other dan-gerous criminals toobscure their identitiesand cover their tracks.” ■

Bakersfield ICE Agents RaidHome Grown Counterfeiters

Chicago—ICE detentionand removal officersarrested a Haitian memberof the Black GangsterDisciples street gangSeptember 28.

Jores Vieux, 32, wasarrested at his residencewithout incident. Duringthe arrest, ICE officersfound drug paraphernaliain Vieux’s apartment,including a scale, cuttingboard, small bags of what appeared to be mari-juana, and “bombers”—cigars that are emptied out and repacked withmarijuana. ICE officerscalled the Chicago Police,who took possession ofthe substances.

During an interview,Vieux admitted to ICEofficers that he joined the Black GangsterDisciples as a teenager.He has two teardrop tat-

toos under his right eye.In the gang and prisonculture, teardrop tattoosrepresent jail time, thatthe wearer has killedsomeone, or that theyhave lost a family mem-ber, friend or fellow gang member.

Vieux came to the UnitedStates as a legal permanentresident, or in 1981. Hehas a 1993 conviction inCook County on drugcharges, and a 1998 feder-al conviction in for coun-terfeiting. He was strippedof his legal immigrationstatus and ordered deport-ed by a federal immigra-tion judge in March 2003.Vieux appealed his case,but lost. On Apr. 28, Vieuxwas ordered to surrender atthe ICE office in Chicagofor removal. He defied theorder and remained in theU.S. as a fugitive. ■

Several dogs under consideration for the ICE Federal Protective Service (FPS) CanineProgram kiss up to the boss, Dennis O’Connor, program director. The FPS CanineTraining Academy is located at Ft. McClellan, Ala., and is run in partnership withAuburn University’s Canine Substance Detection Research Development and TrainingProgram. Each FPS canine handler and canine is required to attend the 10-weekExplosive Detection Dog Handler Training Course. Handlers and their canine partnersgraduate from the course as a team.

Kissing Up To The Boss

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm

of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century lawenforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a

number of key homeland security priorities.

Inside ICE425 I St NW

Washington, DC 20536Attn: Office of Public Affairs

Russ Bergeron, EditorPhone: 202-514-2648

Fax: 202-514-1776E-mail: InsideICE@dhs.gov

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